The present invention relates to a method and system for managing cases having deadlines with a computer.
In a prior art case management system, such as a patent management system, a file number is assigned to each case that is related with patent prosecution. Bibliographic information, such as filing date and application number, is recorded in a case file, which is a database and referred to as an application master, in accordance with the file number. When filing a request for examination or receiving an office action, mailed documents and received documents are recorded as a history. When doing so, the file number, application number, or other type of number is used to read the bibliographic information of the case from the application master and history information is recorded additionally to the bibliographic information.
When performing patent management that includes the management of processing deadlines, tasks are divided between a plurality of processing sections, such as a docketing section, a patent prosecution section, and a development section. When sending or receiving work between sections, a communicating means, such as a mailing system that uses electronic mail and is excluded from the above patent management system, is employed.
Further, in patent management, documents related with prosecution are normally kept in a paper file for management, which is referred to as a “file wrapper”. However, since staff members may freely remove a file wrapper from an archive, the file wrapper may be lost. Thus, there is a storage file management system, which is referred to as a file wrapper management system. In the file wrapper management system, for example, a seal, on which a bar code is marked, is attached to a file wrapper, or a storage file, and the bar code is input to a computer to manage the file wrapper so that it does not become lost.
In a method that performs deadline management with a complex system, the following items are colleted when confirming a deadline. In other words, there is a method for processing deadlines for a case that collects deadlines during a designated period, file number (our reference No.), application number, title, and staff member in charge, which are collected from the application master to generate a deadline management list, and prints or displays the list (e.g., patent document 1). [Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-283400 (page 4, FIG. 12).
However, when integrating a plurality of systems and managing deadlines based on the deadline management list, history information input to the application master subsequent to the generation of the present deadline management list is checked. Thus, there is a shortcoming in that an updated deadline management list must be generated whenever the history information is checked.
Alternatively, a deadline management file, which is a database that differs from the application master, is generated beforehand. When inputting bibliographic information or event information in the application file, event information required for deadline management is also input to the deadline management file. When necessary, the deadline management file is printed or displayed to manage deadlines.
Updated information is always input when managing deadlines with the deadline management file. However, to generate the deadline management file beforehand, event information must be input in addition to the application master and results in a shortcoming in that this increases work.
When dividing tasks between sections, task instructions are given through the mail system. However, this results in a shortcoming in that it requires burdensome tasks, such as writing the required mail message in accordance with the task instruction and sending the mail to the necessary section.
When dividing work between sections and checking the location of a file wrapper with the bar code by means of the file wrapper management system, this results in a shortcoming in that further work becomes necessary, in which a bar code corresponding to the file number must be marked on each file wrapper.
Even if a patent management system for managing patent cases is configured from multiple systems, the multiple systems are not connected to each other. Thus, there is a problem in that the movement of file wrappers, which are managed files, must be managed manually in accordance with task instructions. Further, the deadline management must also be managed manually by means of the deadline management list or the deadline management file.
In addition to patent management systems, for cases undergoing the prior art management system, in which paper medium documents are moved when processing the management file and many people are involved in the processing of the management file, the system becomes complex. Thus, there is a shortcoming in that the large amount of data input manually may result in human errors and that management errors may occur due to the human management.